Faucet wrench



July 28, 1925.

A. w. wHEAToN, JR

FAUCET WRENCH Filed Feb. 19, 1925 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATE-NT OFFICE. j

ABRAIV W. yVVHll'llA'ION, JR., OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, `ASSIGNOR T0 A.V W. WHEATON BRASS WORKS,y OF 1\TEWAR1K, NEVI JERSEY, A CORPORATION.

FAUCET Application led February To all whom t ma@ concern.'

Be it known that I, ABRAM W. I/VHEATON, Jr., a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Maplewood, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Faucet Wrenches, of which kthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to operating means for valves.

vWhen dispensing gasoline and the like from a filling station or from a tank wagon, it is desirable to make provision for automatically shutting off the flow in the event of fire both to avoid loss of the product and also to prevent feeding inflammable material to 'the flames.

The faucets commonly used for dispensing products of this character are of the self closingtype, that is to say, of the type in which the control valve is closed by the yielding pressure of a head of liquid or of l a spring or vweight and opened by means of a wrench operating against such yielding pressure to open the valve. One of the advantages of using faucets of the self closing type is to facilitate closing of the valve in case of any accident. The operating wrenches used for opening the valves are intended either to be held open by the operative so long as the flowl continues thus requiring the continued attendance of the operative or to be held open by a suitable holding means. Even when no holding means is provided, the operative when filling large tanks, in order to avoid standing by and holding the valve open, frequently secures the wrench in valve opening position by tying the handle thereof or by inserting a brace between it and some adjacent part of the apparatus.

The present invention has for an object to provide a wrench for operating valves having provision whereby in event of fire the faucet valve will be automatically closed even though the attendant has secured the handle of the wrench in valve opening position.

The nature and objects of the invention will be better understood from a description of a particular illustrative embodiment thereof, for the purposes of which description reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a self closing WRENCH.

i9, 1925. serial No. 10,161',

faucet with a wrench embodying the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the faucet and wrench'shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and 4 are detailed side views showing the fusible link and the joint of the wrench before and after yielding of the fusible link.

handle member 9 pivoted to the socket member by a pivot pin 10, theaXis of which is substantially, parallel to the axis of the valve operating spindle 6 to permit relative movement of the socket member and handle member in the planeof normal operative movement of the wrenchas it moves about -the axis of the spindle 6 to operatethe valve.

The socket member 8 is provided with la relatively long hub projecting on either side lof the body ofthe socket member whereby the wrench can vbe easilyapplied to the valve operating spindle when the same is'in protected position within a recess forexample as shown in the illustrative embodiment. The arrangement shown in which the hub projects on either side of the body portion of the socket member permits the wrench to be applied to either a right hand or left hand faucet.

The socket member and handle member are rigidly connected, provision being made whereby the connection is automatically released by the application of heat. As shown, suitable lugs 11 and 12 are provided on the socket and handle members respectively adjacent the pivot and these lugs are rigidly connected by means of a fusible link 15. This link may comprise two parts connected by solder fusible at a low temperature. The opposite ends of this link are detachably connected to the respective lugs by means of suitable screws. A suitable means may be provided if desired for temporarily holding the wrench handle in valve opening position. In the drawing there is shown a member 16 pivoted to the faucet and engageable with the handle member 9 of the Wrenchto hold the Wrench in valve opening position.

In the event of ire the fusible link Will yield permitting the socket member to move on the pivot l0 relative to the handle member to permit closing of the valve. The fusible link 15 being separable as shown can be readily replaced in the event of damage or breaking thereof from any cause. The foregoing description of a particular form of Wrench is intended as illustrative of the inventionmerely and isnot to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

I claim:

1. An attachable Wrenchfor operating a self closing valve comprising a valve spindle engaging member and a handlemember, and means rigidly connecting the valve spindle engaging member and handle member comprising a detachable fusible link.

2. An attachable Wrench for operating a self closing valve comprising a valve spindle engaging member, ahandle member, and a f connectionbetween said members comprislng fusible material arranged to yield upon application of heat.

3.l An attachab-le Wrench for operating a selfclosing valve comprising a valve spindle ,engaging member, a handle member pivotally connected thereto, and a fusible member holding the valve spindle engaging member andthe handle member in fixed relation i to each other.

` 4, An attachable vvrenchfor operating a self closing valve comprising a valvespindle engaging member, a handlemember pivotally connected thereto, the tvvo members having laterally extending lugs on one side of fthe pivotal connection 'and a fusible link connecting said lugs.

5.. VAn attachablewrench for operating a Vself closing valve comprising a valve spindle 4 dle is held.

7. In apparatus of the character described the combination with aself closing faucet having a valve operating spindle of a Wrench comprising a socketmember attachable to the valve operating spindle and a holding member pivoted thereto for movementrelative to the socket member inthe plane of normal operative movement of the Wrench, and fusible means for holding the socket member and holding member against rela` tive pivotal movement, together With means engageable with the holding member to hold the Wrench in valve opening position, whereby upon application of heat to said fusible means the valve operating spindle will be released to close thevalve.-

8; A valve operating Wrench comp-rising a valve spindle engaging member, a holding member Inova-bly connected thereto and fusible' means for preventing movement of the lvalve spindle engaging member relative to January, 1925. 1

` ABRAM WV. WHEATON, JR. 

